Our Oline needs to step it up (2 Viewers)

[Paul]

I also think the playcalling could have been a bit better on 3rd down. We tend to go for the big play on 3rd down and it kills the drives where as if we just get the first down we start wearing down that defense.

This, right here. My brother-in-law and I were saying this all night long. Man, just pick up the first. Slow it down a little. We don't need the the homerun on every possession.

 

[BoNcHiE]

It was a bad game for Bushrod, but he's been playing solid all year. Stinch on the other hand needs to be replace. Goody had a bad game as well.

Stinchcomb has far outplayed Bushrod this year.

Bushrod has struggled all year and easily has been our worst lineman.

Last night was an absolute embarassment for the guy.

 

[Domeination]

I can't put Brees' first INT on the O line. Yes, the protection broke down, but Brees has to be smart enough to take a sack there and live to play another down. He got away with the behind the back shovel pass to PT (although that was nearly a disaster), and he got too cute with the shovel that resulted in the pick 6. Brees has had a problem with trying to do too much all season, which is a big part of why he has so many INTs. Now, part of the reason he was again trying to do too much last night is that he had no complementary run game. The O line performed poorly last night in all phases. But that doesn't exonerate Brees from making bad decisions. To the credit of Brees and the whole offense, though, they came back and scored and ran out the clock when the game was on the line, which is something Matty "Ice" couldn't do. I'll take the win any way I can get it.

 

[RazorSaint]

I see it more as very poor coaching per the offensive calls of SP. No RB draws, few screens, few short TE routes and way too many zero back sets to slow the rush. !

This. I was screaming for a screen pass in the 1st half when the Falcons were bringing the house on virtually every down.

 

[NewOrleansFan]

A better running threat will help with pass protection. The Oline plays on the heels the whole game last night

 

[detmut]

You are right, and most of the rest of the posts on this thread are woefully wrong.

I don't know what all the criticism of Bushrod is about--he might be playing the most consistently of any of our lineman. The nonsense about Bushrod letting Abraham go is just that--nonsense. If that ball isn't tipped, it looks like Lance Moore scores a TD--the design of the play is to use the defenders aggression against them...and it was a great call.

A protection problem is not the same as a problem with the offensive line.

bushrod had multiple penalties last night, one of which negated a touchdown.

 

[Vacherie Saint]

Bushrod decided to deal with Abraham by ignoring him and not so much as patting him on the back as he opened the turnstyle and let him by...Saw two to three bad plays from Bushrod where he let an elite DE go by untouched like he didn't know he was there. I think his vision needs checking.

That play was a screen. He is supposed to bump Abraham and let him free to the QB. Bushrod runs out to set up the screen and Brees gets the ball off before Abraham gets there. Abraham must have read the play because he took a crazy angle and didn't let Bushrod get the bump.

That said, I think we need help at Tackle. I still think we need pass rushers, but the D (especially Dunbar) looked solid last night. Maybe we could solve our defensive problems via free agency allowing us to consider grooming C Brown for the right side and taking a look at a new LT in the 1st?? Just a thought. I think it would help our run game tremendously.

 

[Timbeaux]

Earlier in this thread, someone said that our line wasn't horrible all night, because they played good in the last scoring drive....NOT!!!!.....Atlanta didn't bring the blitz in that last scoring drive, for whatever reason. Our O-line sucks and if we can't get it fixed before the play-offs, our chances to repeat are going to be greatly reduced. Not only does it affect turnovers, execution of plays, etc.....it also could cause an injury to Brees, and I don't see us having another quarterback on the roster who could take this team where it wants to go....

 

[longgraybeard]

I also think the playcalling could have been a bit better on 3rd down. We tend to go for the big play on 3rd down and it kills the drives where as if we just get the first down we start wearing down that defense.

I don't think going for the big play a few times on third is establishing a tendency. Doing this a couple or few times during a game introduces an element of uncertainty into the situation and defenses can't overlook the possibility they may not get what they expect.... the first down play. I love the strategy. It's third and short .... what's it going to be? Long ball? Short pass? Run? Defenses don't know and can't play too tight. In this playoff stretch it will be impossible for defensive coordinators to predict what the Saints will do in this situation and they will have to prepare for all possibilities precisely because Payton is not displaying any tendencies.

 

[NCSaint]

I don't think going for the big play a few times on third is establishing a tendency. Doing this a couple or few times during a game introduces an element of uncertainty into the situation and defenses can't overlook the possibility they may not get what they expect.... the first down play. I love the strategy. It's third and short .... what's it going to be? Long ball? Short pass? Run? Defenses don't know and can't play too tight. In this playoff stretch it will be impossible for defensive coordinators to predict what the Saints will do in this situation and they will have to prepare for all possibilities precisely because Payton is not displaying any tendencies.

As a strategy I agree it is great. But when it doesn't work and the drive ends man it hurts. The argument is even if it fails it opens up options later in the game which is true but I still would like to string a few first downs toghers and gas the D early.

 

[4EveraSaint]

Earlier in this thread, someone said that our line wasn't horrible all night, because they played good in the last scoring drive....NOT!!!!.....Atlanta didn't bring the blitz in that last scoring drive, for whatever reason. Our O-line sucks and if we can't get it fixed before the play-offs, our chances to repeat are going to be greatly reduced. Not only does it affect turnovers, execution of plays, etc.....it also could cause an injury to Brees, and I don't see us having another quarterback on the roster who could take this team where it wants to go....

Not horrible all night. The last drive of 90 yards they did a good job for the most part.
And why do we have these "captain obvious" threads all the time? Do posters think we don't watch the game?

I'm that "somebody". And drew had time because of the o line that last drive. Blitzing or not. And see that "quote" button...it works wonders.

 

[duckjr78]

That play was a screen. He is supposed to bump Abraham and let him free to the QB. Bushrod runs out to set up the screen and Brees gets the ball off before Abraham gets there. Abraham must have read the play because he took a crazy angle and didn't let Bushrod get the bump.

That said, I think we need help at Tackle. I still think we need pass rushers, but the D (especially Dunbar) looked solid last night. Maybe we could solve our defensive problems via free agency allowing us to consider grooming C Brown for the right side and taking a look at a new LT in the 1st?? Just a thought. I think it would help our run game tremendously.

Brown will be our future left tackle. He, Nicks, Tennant, Evans, and Stinch will hold down this Oline for a long time.

Our Oline isn't playing that well right now, but I have no doubt that they will continue to be a position of strength for this team for the foreseeable future.

So will the QB position, WR corps, TEs, RBs, and secondary. Wow, this team is really talented.

 

[REBEL_SOUL]

Bushrod, Nicks, and Goodwin are in the last year of their current contracts.

 

[Section140Fans]

I see it more as very poor coaching per the offensive calls of SP. No RB draws, few screens, few short TE routes and way too many zero back sets to slow the rush. And I also agree that we should have gone no huddle a ton and wore the dirty birds nasty arses out. Yes we had some poor line play but SP sure didn't help them out any. But I'll take this great "heart win" by our guys all day long!

I disagree. We ran plenty of screens and they are becoming predictable. Several things caused problems last night. Dropped Balls, missed assignments, poor blocking (Bushrod did make some bonehead decisions).

We really miss Dave Thomas lined up in the backfield on passing plays. SP needs to keep a back or TE in the mix to help on the edge in these situations. He emptied the backfield way too often last night leaving too many defenders to be blocked.

I also think Lance Moore needs to be on the field every down.

 

[CitySaint]

They blitzed and overloaded and shifted on 75 percent of our offensive passing plays, what do you expect for us to stonewall a team thats constantly blitzing? They are going to get through if they continue to constantly blitz, what disappointed me was that we were unable to burn them on it. The line did fine considering that for most of the game they had to protect Drew from more men than they could handle often and both Reggie and Pierre were both awesome in blitz pickup. Bushrod is a decent starter at tackle, he is not elite and him going against arguably one of the best pass rushers in the league can't give anyone expectations of him winning that battle overall, Stinch is in the same position. Abraham obviously for most of the league needs to be chipped or something that helps nearly every tackle out there, the problem is that when the Falcons blitz alot like last night the backs/TE's cannot chip or atleast get in the way physically because they have to help out with blitzes in other areas.

I think the protection schemes were decent considering they blitzed us heavily almost every passing play. I think we should have had better hot routes, route running, and catching in the passing game. We were not prepared for them blitzing so much it's obvious because if we were Drew would have been slinging it out of there in .5 seconds on designed/well prepared hot routes.